Under the Tamarind Tree is a historical novel telling the story of Partition through the lives of the characters. It's not a period of time where most Americans know much and this novel while being an enjoyable read, also made me want to know more about what actually happened.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Under the Tamarind Tree in exchange for an honest opinion. It is available now.

The novel revolves around an Indo-Pakistani family in the 1960s, a decade or so after the Partition from India. They have settled in Karachi and its members are navigating through the 60s in various ways, some questioning their belonging in Pakistan and others questioning the future they've been told they should have.

As the next generation, the younger generation Rozeena and her friends seek to break the norms of tradition, but their parents and society also hold them to the past, one in which young women get married, have children, remain in the domestic inner world. There is an allusion to a traumatic event in 1964, but it is shrouded in some mystery for most of the novel; it is the catalyst which changes the course of Rozeena and her friend's lives.

The novel toggles forward to 2019 and back to the 1960s, unraveling the story of Rozeena and her friends. as it does. In 2019, the same resistance to social conformity duplicates itself in Zara, a young woman under Rozeena's care.

About 3.5 stars for me. The impact of Partition on the families in the story was very interesting and something I haven’t read about before. I liked the dual timelines and seeing Rozeena in her younger years and in the current timeline where she is elderly. I also liked how Zara’s family and Rozeena’s entwined. The reason I didn’t give this a higher star rating is I felt removed from the characters and the story - there was a distance or lack of engagement I noticed. Could be just wrong time wrong book for me or the writing style- I can’t pinpoint it. That said I liked the book.

Thank you for the ARC! Beautifully and tenderly written, I want to revisit this book. Can't wait to re-read the paper release and gift it to my friends.

There are a lot of emotions going on in Under the Tamarind Tree, mostly sad and devastating. I knew very little about Partition in 1947 that split India and Pakistan along a made up border. There were 20 million people displaced and millions killed when Muslins were forced to flee to Pakistan and Hindu and Sikh fled for India.

In that mix were Rozeena and her parents who left much of their property behind in India and settled in Karachi where they were lucky enough to obtain a house. Rozeena grows up with neighborhood friends, a foursome who stick together until shortly after one fateful night when tragedy occurs.

The story is told mostly in 1964 when the four are young adults and also in 2019 when Rozeena is retired from her life as a doctor and not feeling very needed anymore by family. There are lots of secrets by everyone, somewhat a sign of the times and also by class. Only Haaris, one of the four, has money and standing in the community and we see not only the positive results of that but also how it eats him up and ultimately controls his life.

It is sad but so well told and I so appreciate learning about times and places that I was rather ignorant about.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

More like 3.5. I found this book hard to get into and a little confusing at first. Once I got 1/3 of the way in it started coming together and was an interesting read. It was an interesting look into the Partition that took place between Hindus and Muslims, India and Pakistan, which altered the lives of so many families forever. In many ways it's a forgotten time in our modern history, but lives on with those most effected and shapes their society today. Unavoidably, there is generational trauma that follows the future generation whether or not they are aware of all that happened. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had to work so hard to get through the beginning. Thanks Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early!

This lyrically written and heartbreakingly beautiful book depicts the horrors of the Partition (when India and Pakistan were divided following independence from the British, forcing thousands to flee for their lives) and the long-lasting trauma of colonization, even several generations removed.

Devastating and hopeful in equal measure as a woman, now in her eighties, must confront her past with the help of the teenage granddaughter of a friend she thought she would never hear from again.

I knew as soon as I started this book it was going to make me cry. I made sure not to read it at night before bed because I didn’t want to go to bed with a heavy heart. This story is told in present and past recollections by Rozeena from her younger twenties to her present eighties self. It’s the story of how once incident changed the course of lives for four friends. Sisterhood is questioned, friendships become estranged, and a love story unfulfilled as result of one tragic event. The repercussions of that and of the ever present question to “what will people say,” alters the lives of these four people. The story is tragic and beautiful. As I thought when I started it, I knew this book was going to make me cry and it did but it was worth the time spent reading about Pakistan after the partition and the aftermath.

I love books with alternating POV’s and that cover a piece of history I don’t know too much about. So I was really excited to start this one.

The writing was done exceptionally well and there was so much potential. However, something about it was hard to follow and it moved rather slow at first.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would be interested to read more from this author. Ultimately, I think I just may not have been in the right head space at the time I read this. I think it was worth coming back to eventually and reading again to see if my feelings shift.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but I ended up enjoying it. There's so much room for much deeper analysis of this novel and the implications of class status and the effects of Partition on many families and future generations. The twist at the end of the novel did take me by surprise, but in a way that didn't distract from the story. Overall a great read, highly recommend for fans of historical fiction or slice of life novels.

Rozeena receives a call from her old friend Haaris who asks her to look after his granddaughter Zara while she's visiting Karachi and dealing with the recent death of her brother. Rozeena hadn't heard from Haaris in over fifty years and his call brings back past memories of a tragic event that happened to her childhood friends. Rozeena was forced to leave her home when she was nine due to Partition and as her family escaped into Pakistan, her brother died. Her family tried to rebuild their lives and Rozeena went on to study medicine and became a pediatrician. Rozeena grappled with her career, whether to serve the wealthy or continue her clinic services for the people who needed care at an affordable price. As she mingles with the wealthier crowd, she ends up at Haaris' party with her friend Aalya and the events of that night force all of them to either tell the truth or cover it up for good. Then fifty years later while working with Zara, all of those memories are back and Rozeena tries to deal with the consequences. Overall, a story about friends and family and the terrible situations people find themselves in and the perseverance to get through them. This book also touched on the trauma caused by Partition, as well as how narrow the roles were for women at that time.

A very interesting book How at the author went back in time? And then to the future, and she tied it all together very well.. It was an interesting story because it was talking about India and Pakistan when they became separated in 1947 when England left.. It had a lot of twist and turns, and you find out how everything was related to in this book. Roxy was the doctor and her mother and her father. Courage started to be very independent, not have an arranged marriage.. Her mother struggled after her father died. But she kept it going, and you'll find out who helped her in this book. . A friend Call Harrison Once her best friend, he was very interesting because he came back from liverpool and his family was very wealthy. . She really liked him but she knew she could never compete with him. Talk about her family, who had to leave India and flee to Pakistan. She lost her brother during this time.. They have family connections there, so they had a house waiting for them. We talked about domestic violence in this book and how women were. Treated very differently in this book. Or two. They have this ball or harrison and a lot of tragic it came out of this, and it was really hard to figure why this was going on. In the future, she had a very successful practice, and she had a child she raised. Because it was directly relate it to domestic violence. ZOHEIR came to visit Roslyn Rosalind. But she had a lot of problems, too, because she lost her brother in the United States.. She was just trying to figure out ways to be in the present. You'll find out all this twisting turns at the end of the book

Under the Tamarind Tree is a portrait of life in Southern Asia after the partition of India in 1947, a scrambled affair that the British mangled as they exited and left meaningless “instructions” on how the partition was to go into effect. I knew some of the details of this event but not the extent of the rioting, killing, deaths, and destruction as the Muslim population of all areas fled to the new Pakistan while Hindu and Sikh populations all fled to India at the same time.

In this work of historical fiction, Rozeena, her parents, and her older brother, Faysal, are among those fleeing from India to Pakistan. Her brother is lost in the rioting; he is killed. In their stunned grief, the family arrives in Karachi. They are able to obtain a house rather than go to a settlement camp because they have relatives already living in the city. Now they begin their new lives. We see this novel through two timeframes, one set in 1964 a time of momentous events in the lives of Rozeena and her close friends , and the second set in 2019, again seen through Rozee’s eyes but bringing some closure as life comes full circle for some characters.

The events of 1947 hang over the lives of many of the characters in this story, no matter how many years have passed. There are also many instances of things left unspoken, secrets kept too long, issues of class, poverty vs. money/wealth, and their negative impacts on many people’s lives.

Recommended. For a view of an historical event and aftermath, possibly a view of a new culture.


Thank you to Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. The review is my own.

Under the Tamarind Tree is not necessarily the type of fiction I gravitate toward, but it sounded like a good story so I went with it. I have no regrets. I learned a lot about the history of India and Pakistan and particularly The Partition which I knew absolutely nothing about and had never heard of. I found myself looking into it more just to understand the dynamics of that time. I needed have worried though because the author brought way more to the table than a surface story. What would you do to protect your closest friends? To protect your families? Four best friends will have to confront these questions and so much more. This story also brought to light (for me, in any case), the strict limitations heaped on the women of that time and that culture. It's hard for me to fathom having had the freedoms I have had here in the United States. I loved the juxtaposition of having Zara and Rozee interact on such a personal level...and a few surprise twists as well.

Prepare to be swept away on a journey of profound emotions and lingering secrets in Nigar Alam's debut novel, "Under the Tamarind Tree." Set against the backdrop of the haunting echoes of Partition (which was not something I was familiar with - thanks to the US education), this captivating tale delves into four friends and the interwoven threads of their lives.

In 1964 Karachi, Rozeena is faced with the pressing urgency of establishing her medical career. As her aspirations collide with unexpected consequences, her childhood friends Haaris, Aalya, and Zohair find themselves grappling with the shifting tides of society that threaten to tear them apart. A single fateful night shatters their once-unbreakable bond, altering the course of their lives forever. Fast forward to 2019, where Rozeena receives an unexpected call that reignites a connection she believed was lost. What begins as an act of kindness unravels hidden truths and unearths buried pain, weaving an unconventional friendship that traverses the boundaries of time and generations. "Under the Tamarind Tree" delicately explores the intricate web of generational trauma, fraying friendships, and the lengths to which people will go to safeguard their loved ones.

Alam's enchanting prose and vivid visual descriptions paint a mesmerizing tapestry that envelops the reader. The mystery at the heart of the narrative casts a spell of increasingly mounting tension, keeping readers perched at the edge of their seats. As a reader who ventured outside my usual genre, I found myself entranced by the poignant themes of grief and loss. The portrayal of sibling loss resonated deeply with me, as I empathized with the characters' struggles to navigate their shattered worlds and fill the void left behind.

Through Alam's storytelling, "Under the Tamarind Tree" invites us to contemplate the complexities of aging, the inexorable passage of time, and the bittersweet reality that life seldom adheres to neat and tidy endings. The conclusion, though not entirely satisfying in the conventional sense, mirrors the unpredictability of life itself—an authentic representation of how we find solace and joy amidst life's imperfections.

"Under the Tamarind Tree" is a breathtaking journey through the depths of human connection, resilience, and the enduring power of friendship. Alam's poignant narrative reminds us that even in the face of heartbreak and adversity, we have the capacity to find beauty and meaning, weaving threads of hope and love into the intricate tapestry of our lives.

(Note: Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC. This is an honest review.)

"Like the powerful waves that must reach the shore and crash onto the beach, the past too must bubble up from within us, up and out through our lips. We must speak of it instead of allowing the pressure to build inside."

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This one caught me by the description, and I'm so glad I read it. Not only was it an interesting story, I learned some historical facts from it, which, of course, had me doing more research to learn more about the Partition.

The dual timelines keep you wanting to learn more about the effects Rozeena's family and friends experienced after fleeing India to Pakistan. We see how devastating pasts can continually effect decisions made in the future and how those decisions can come back to the forefront.

Rozeena's successes are affected by the devastation of the fleeing and losing her brother, and the past of what her friends did until she finally came to terms with them. I loved how the author told the story, which had me wanting to know what Rozeena and her friends' secret was from the past. Then, moving to the present day to see how the two would come together as Rozeena tries to help her friends relative while also dealing with what happened in their pasts.

This is a strong debut novel, and I am looking forward to more from this author in the future!

This lovely novel about friendship takes place in parallel timelines: one in 1964 and one in 2019. Rozeena, Haaris, Aalya and Zohair are best friends as children, despite their family’s status in Karachi society. They have fun together and maybe some romance blooming in the group… All of that comes to a head one fateful night in 1964 when their lives are forever changed.

In present day (2019) Rozeena is contacted by Haaris after 50 years to take his granddaughter, Zara, on as an intern after a family tragedy. A lovely friendship blooms between Zara and Rozeena. But Zara’s questions about the past being back painful memories for Rozeena and secrets that she’d rather stay buried in the past.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and appreciated how it shows the impact that the India/Pakistan partition had on those who lived there and migrated during that time. My own grandparents were part of that migration in 1947 and I wish I had asked them more details about their experience. The characters are developed based on each of their family’s experiences during the migration and the trauma that lingered into the newer generations. I also am a sucker for unlikely friendships between young and old so I loved that aspect of it as well. And, I found it to be a good flow of how the story of the past was slowly revealed in bits and pieces.

Thank you to Netgalley and GP Putnam and Sons for an early review copy of this novel. This one hits the shelves on 8/15/23.

Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam is an absolutely brilliant novel that showcases the after effects of colonization even after generations. Set in Karachi, this book has two timelines of 1964 and 2019. There are parallels in both stories that make this book even more compelling.

Rozeena is a retired pediatrician in her 80s, and one day, she receives a call that shocks her because this person has gone no contact for a very long time. He was a friend. She goes into memory lane, and some memories are painful. Some things were assumed, and decisions were taken without knowing the full facts. Four friends and their lives change in the course of a week.

I really loved this book. Being an Indian, I know what a toll the Partition was on people from both India and Pakistan. The absolute trauma in both countries is something that is still felt today, and the author has done an amazing job in plainly stating the facts of the Radcliffe line and how the biggest human migration in history took place. The prose is simple, this story is simple , but the impact of this book is powerful. I will be looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Thank you, Penguin Group Putnam @putnambooks and Netgalley, for this book. All the opinions are my own.

CW: loss of a loved one, grief, references to sexual and physical abuse.

Four childhood friends grow up in Karachi, Pakistan. On the cusp of adulthood, a tragedy occurs that will change their lives forever. This is a beautifully written, deeply poignant love story. The story flips between 1964 and 2019, and has a distinctive mood with all the cultural references to Pakistan. The society and its food, clothing, flora, traditions, history. It’s all there as well as the customs that play such a big role in the narrative. You think you know which way the plot is going, yet it still surprises. So, if you like literary fiction and learning about other cultures, you’re sure to love this novel. 4.5 stars

(3.5, rounded to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: violence, death, misogyny, sexual assault, colonization.

In 2019, Rozeena is haunted by memories of her past. Out of her three childhood friends -- Haaris, Aalya, and Zohair -- she is the only one who still lives in Karachi, the place her parents fled during the Partition of India in 1947. Although she's done her best to put the events of 1964 behind her, she still fears her only son discovering the truth of his background, and so it suits her just fine to stay away from everyone in her old life. But when Haaris calls her all the way from America, pleading for her to take his granddaughter under her wing, Rozeena is thrown back into the midst of a time she doesn't want to remember -- and its consequences that are still echoing to the present day.

Before Under the Tamarind Tree, I had only the vaguest understanding of India's Partition in 1947. It was a catastrophic event, engineered by British colonizers who were both too ignorant and too cruel to care for the millions of people under their watch, culminating in violence, confusion and, ultimately, the loss of between 200,000 to two million lives, and the displacement of nearly twenty million. Alam does a great job of weaving the events of 1947, 1964, and 2019 together, and although the primary focus of the novel is on Rozeena and her friends, the backdrop of the Partition and its trauma is ever-present, the catalyst that leads to many future tragedies -- some of which Rozeena, Haaris, Zohair and Aalya will never recover from.

The setting of Karachi is beautifully rendered, and despite the fact that I've never even set foot out of Texas, Alam's descriptions of it are so real that I could almost imagine myself there. She takes time and consideration to perfect the background, and Karachi itself almost becomes a character, a sort of living, breathing being that is utilized by the story and characters. Even if you have very little prior understanding of Pakistan, its culture, religions, or its history, Alam does an excellent job of providing us with just enough information that it doesn't feel as if you're being spoon-fed exposition.

Our main character is Rozeena; the book is entirely from her perspective, the other characters creating a sort of web around her, with her squarely in the middle of it all. In spite of Rozeena's narration and the many problems that she faces, however, she remains distant, and it was sometimes difficult to connect with her. It might be in part due to the rather simplistic writing style, particularly in the modern day, which is told through present-tense -- never a great vehicle for conveying emotion, if you ask me. I particularly liked the relationship between Aalya and Rozeena, and their efforts at reconnecting as they grow from children into young adults, and I would've actually liked to see more of it.

Under the Tamarind Tree is an exploration of regret. Rozeena is constantly plagued by guilt from her past, unable to let go of the mistakes she made that changed the directions of their lives forever. The brightest spot of the book is the blossoming relationship between Rozeena and Haaris's granddaughter, who offers her a way out of self-loathing and depression. She sees in this girl a chance at making things right, of healing the wounds that she and Aalya experienced as young women, and it is this beautiful bond that centers the story and, in the end, makes it feel complete.